Cut tobacco feeder



United States Patent inventors Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignees TokioFuchu,

Hojichyo;

Ko Kanamori, Tokyo; Takeyoshi Akiyama, Sendai; Mataji Murakami, Osaka,Japan 783,905

Dec. 16, 1968 Oct. 6, 1970 The Japan Monopoly Corporation, Tokyo, JapanKabushiki Kaisha Murakami Seisakusho Takatukishi, Osaka, Japan PriorityDec. 2, 1967 Japan No. 42/101,109

CUT TOBACCO FEEDER 4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

U.S.Cl 131/109, 131/84, 198/57 Int. Cl A24c 5/1 [50] FieldofSeai-ch .1198/47, 5254,5657;222/55: l3l/84(C), I09

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,563,334 12/1925 Bronander131/109 Primary Examiner-Edward A, Sroka Attorney-Couch and OConnell,Roberts Cushman and Grover ABSTRACT: A cut tobacco feeder for feeding aneven layer of tobacco onto a conveyor band comprises a first conveyorband forming the bottom of a storage chamber, an inclined second bandcarrying needles on its surface and running upwards from the first band,the first band carrying a first layer of tobacco under the lower end ofthe second band, at least one levelling roller above the upper part ofthe second band, and a pick-off roller adjacent the top of the band,whereby tobacco picked off from the second hand falls on top of the saidfirst layer to form a second layer of tobacco on the first band,

our TOBACCO FEEDER This invention relates to a cut tobacco feeder forfeeding an even layer oftobacco onto a conveyor band.

In the pneumatic distribution system described in Japanese Utility ModelApplication No. I01 1 /67. a conveyor band carrying cut tobacco runsunderneath the open ends of collector conduits to which suction can beapplied to draw tobacco from the band into the collector conduits. It isdesirable for even and reliable distribution of the tobacco that thelayer of tobacco on the conveyor band is even in depth and free fromlarge lumps.

According to the invention there is provided a cut tobacco feeder forfeeding an even layer of tobacco onto a conveyor band, comprising afirst conveyor band forming the bottom of storage chamber and so runningunder the lower end of an inclined second conveyor band which runsupwards from the first band and forms one side of the chamber that, inuse, a first layer of tobacco remains on the first band, the second bandhaving needles on its surface, at least one levelling roller positionedabove the upper part of the second hand to level the tobacco thereon,and a roller adjacent the top of the second band for picking off tobaccotherefrom, so as to cause the picked-off tobacco to fall on top of thesaid first layer to form a second layer of tobacco on the first band.

One embodiment ofthe invention will now be described, by way of example,with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of one cut tobacco feeder embodying theinvention; and

FIGS. 2 to 6 are sectional views of the feeder of FIG. 1 taken along thelines A-A' to E-E respectively.

The feeder illustrated has a storage chamber 1 which receives tobacco(T) from an inlet conveyor band 16. An

inclined partition plate 2 directs tobacco onto a conveyor band 3 at thebottom of the storage chamber 1. The band 3 passes out of the storagechamber 1 under the lower end of another conveyor band 7 and thencethrough an opening 5 in the wall 4.

The conveyor band 7 is inclined with respect to the lower band 3 andruns upwardly from the lower band. The tobacco in the chamber 1 liesbetween the plate 2 and the inclined band 7 on the lower band 3, andthus the inclined band forms one side of the storage chamber. The lowerroller 8 carrying the inclined band 7 is positioned a predetermineddistance d above the lower band 3 thus allowing a layer of tobacco ofthicknessd to pass through the opening 5 on the band 3.

The conveyor band 7 has a large number of needles 6 on its surface andthus carries tobacco upwards and under a socalled thrusting roller10(see FIGS. land 5 l which has spikes 9 and rotates against the flow oftobacco on the band 7, thus tending to level the tobacco on the band andbreaking up any large lumps. Above the thrusting roller Itl is alevelling roller 11 (see FIGS. land 4) carrying needles 12.

When the tobacco on the band 7 reaches the upper roller and begins tomove downwards it is picked off the band by a so-called brush roller 13.The picked-off tobacco falls into a chute 14 having an outlet 15 whichis positioned a distance d above the lower band 3, where d is greaterthan d. Thus a second layer of tobacco is laid on the layer already onthe band 3 forming a double layer of even thickness and of a sufficientthickness to be easily sucked up into the collector conduits, whensuction is applied. The collector conduits may be of the type describedin Japanese Utility Model Application No. lOl l 10/67.

The needles 6 0n the inclined conveyor band 7 tend to disintegrate anylumps which may try to pass under the roller 8 on the lower band 3. Thethrusting roller 10 also acts to break up any lumps which are carriedupwards by the inclined band 7.

We claim:

1. A cut tobacco feeder for feeding an even layer of tobacco onto aconveyor band, said feeder comprising:

a storage chamber;

a first conveyor band forming the bottom of said storage chamber;

an inclined second conveyor band running upwards from said first band,said first band carrying a first layer of tobacco under the lower end ofsaid second band;

needles 0n the surface of said second band;

at least one levelling roller positioned above the upper part of saidsecond band; and

a roller adjacent the top of said second band for picking off tobaccotherefrom, whereby the picked-off tobacco falls on top of said firstlayer to form a second layer of tobacco on said first band.

2. A feeder according to claim 1, further comprising a chute positionedbeneath said pick-off roller to receive said pickedoff tobacco andhaving a discharge opening spaced a distance above said first conveyorband which is greater than the distance between said lower end of saidsecond band and said first band.

3. A feeder according to claim 1, having one levelling roller positionedabove the upper part of said second band, and a spiked thrusting rollerpositioned below said levelling roller.

4. A feeder according to claim 2, wherein above said upper part of saidsecond band there is one levelling roller and a spiked thrusting rollertherebelow.

